A British sniper set a world sharpshooting record by taking out two Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan from more than a mile and a half away -- a distance so great, experts say the terrorists wouldn't have even heard the shots.

Craig Harrison killed the two insurgents from an astounding distance of 8,120 feet -- or 1.54 miles -- in Helmand Province last November firing an Accuracy International L11583 long-range rifle.

"The first round hit a machine-gunner in the stomach and killed him outright," said Harrison, a corporal of horse in the British Army's Household Cavalry, the equivalent of a sergeant in the American military.
<credits></credits>HARRISON
HARRISON

"The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too," Harrison told the Sunday Times of London.

The shots -- measured via GPS -- surpassed the previous record held by Canadian Army Cpl. Rob Furlong, who killed an al Qaeda gunman from 7,972 feet in 2002.

Harrison's shots were roughly equal to the distance between the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park.

Experts called Harrison's sharp shooting as perfect as it gets.

"When you are shooting that far, if you miss by a hair, you miss by a mile," said John Plaster, a retired US Army sharp-shooting instructor and author of "The Ultimate Sniper." "That is about as precise as any marksmen on the planet could shoot."

He said Harrison's targets likely never knew what was coming.

"At a distance like that they cannot even see anyone and they would not even hear the muzzle report," Plaster said.

Harrison, who fired the bullets while his colleagues were under fire, said perfect weather helped him nail the perfect shot.

"[There was] no wind, mild weather, clear visibility," he said.

Harrison learned of his record nine days ago, when he returned to England. In the weeks after his record shot, he suffered a minor gunshot wound and broke his arms when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Thats not bad , but I shot a jack rabbit at 100 yards in the head while he was running at full speed from left to right.

Gonzo

05-06-2010, 02:39 PM

What caliber is that rifle?
Posted via Mobile Device

AndChiefs

05-06-2010, 02:39 PM

What's more impressive is that he shot two of them.

CoMoChief

05-06-2010, 02:44 PM

That's ****ing cool!!!!! :clap:

CoMoChief

05-06-2010, 02:44 PM

What caliber is that rifle?
Posted via Mobile Device

Chuck Norris caliber

KCrockaholic

05-06-2010, 02:47 PM

That is awesome.

kepp

05-06-2010, 02:47 PM

What's more impressive is that he shot two of them.

The only thing better would have been two with one shot.

Steron

05-06-2010, 02:48 PM

Color me unimpressed. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home.

pr_capone

05-06-2010, 02:52 PM

Craig Harrison should only have to point at a woman and she should immediately begin servicing him and be grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Helluva shot.

Saulbadguy

05-06-2010, 02:54 PM

Color me unimpressed. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home.

GOD DAMNIT.

BIG_DADDY

05-06-2010, 02:54 PM

Great post.

Delano

05-06-2010, 02:56 PM

Harrison learned of his record nine days ago, when he returned to England. In the weeks after his record shot, he suffered a minor gunshot wound and broke his arms when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!

Harrison was sent back to the UK for treatment, but insisted on returning to the front line after making a full recovery.
ďI was lucky that my physical fitness levels were very high before my arms were fractured and after six weeks in plaster I was still in pretty good shape,Ē he said. ďIt hasnít affected my ability as a sniper.Ē

The bullet was a 8.59 mm.

Crush

05-06-2010, 03:01 PM

Mandatory Bret Hart reference.

Pants

05-06-2010, 03:07 PM

Jesus, is that even physically possible? I mean even the slightest wind would theoretically change the trajectory to the point of it being nowhere close to the target. That is probably the most impressive thing I have read about all year. Absolutely incredible.

RealSNR

05-06-2010, 03:12 PM

Color me unimpressed. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home.ROFL

RedNFeisty

05-06-2010, 03:14 PM

Color me very impressed, but I still wouldn't drop to my knees to service him just because he wanted it.

pr_capone

05-06-2010, 03:19 PM

Color me very impressed, but I still wouldn't drop to my knees to service him just because he wanted it.

You must not be a real patriot. :P

Radar Chief

05-06-2010, 03:20 PM

What caliber is that rifle?
Posted via Mobile Device

.50 cal is assumable. Lapua has some calibers that will reach out that far but theyíre all pretty new stuff, I doubt the British military would be using them.

Radar Chief

05-06-2010, 03:24 PM

The bullet was a 8.59 mm.

If Iím figuring this right thatís about a .338 caliber. Iím impressed that a .338 bullet can carry enough energy to be deadly out that far.

orange

05-06-2010, 03:26 PM

http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/support-weapons/1459.aspx

Ugly Duck

05-06-2010, 03:30 PM

Color me unimpressed.

Whoa... tough audience...

FAX

05-06-2010, 03:33 PM

One time I hit a squirrel right square in the forehead with a Fruit Wheat from a distance of approximately 10 yards.

FAX

kepp

05-06-2010, 03:35 PM

One time I hit a squirrel right square in the forehead with a Fruit Wheat from a distance of approximately 10 yards.

Interestingly when I go looking for .338 cal ballistics, the first hit is a .338 Lapua.
Sounds like this is what he was shooting.

http://www.snipercentral.com/338.htm

8.60x70mm (.338 Lapua)
The .338 is fairly new to the sniper community, but it does bear the distinction as being the first and only caliber designed specifically for sniping. While this round was actually developed back in 1983, it wasn't until the last few years that it has gained in popularity. The caliber was designed to arrive at 1000 meters with enough energy to penetrate 5 layers of military body armor and still make the kill. The effective range of this caliber is about 1 mile (1600meters) and in the right shooting conditions, it could come very close to the 2000 meter mark, provided you have the right rifle/ammo/optics/shooter/spotter combination. Realistically, 1200 meters is well within the average sniper. This caliber is designed primarily as a military extreme range anti-personnel round, there really is no Law Enforcement applications, unless you need a super penetrating round for either armored vehicles, or for barricaded suspects. There is not a lot of rifles chambered for the .338, but the list is growing with the likes of Sako, AI, and others producing .338 sniping rifles. Ammo is another problem, match ammo is sometimes difficult to find, but it is becomming more available as time passes. We all know the legal liability of using hand loads, so that is out of the question. Another concern is the recoil of this caliber, even with a good muzzle brake, its brisk. So don't try a rifle without one. Be sure to practice the fundamentals of shooting to try and prevent a flinch from developing.
Recommendations: For military extreme long-range anti-personnel purposes, the .338 Lapua is king. Even the .50BMG falls short (Do to accuracy problems with current ammo). This caliber is not recommended for Law Enforcement.
Military Applications
I have chosen the Lapua factory load with a 250gr FMJ-BT at 3000fps (Wow!). This load has some awsome down range ballistics.
.338 Lapua 250gr FMJ-BT (LockBase) at 3000fps

orange

05-06-2010, 03:41 PM

One time I hit a squirrel right square in the forehead with a Fruit Wheat from a distance of approximately 10 yards.

FAX

I was walking to mail a letter once. As I was passing an old folks' home, I saw a squirrel leap from a tree to the building's porch roof - but he missed. He hit the side and toppled down the wall. After a second or two on the ground, he got up, jumped on the tree and scrambled up to a branch. He then went into full CYA mode, barking like a maniac at ME as if it was my fault.

Squirrels and people are much alike.

Delano

05-06-2010, 03:42 PM

The previous two long-range records were achieved with the: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMillan_TAC-50

Fish

05-06-2010, 03:51 PM

Interestingly when I go looking for .338 cal ballistics, the first hit is a .338 Lapua.
Sounds like this is what he was shooting.

http://www.snipercentral.com/338.htm
.
.

The caliber was designed to arrive at 1000 meters with enough energy to penetrate 5 layers of military body armor and still make the kill.
.
.

:eek: Holy fuck!

Tits McGee

05-06-2010, 04:15 PM

.50 caliber

Pants

05-06-2010, 04:17 PM

.50 caliber

Huh?

2bikemike

05-06-2010, 04:59 PM

Quite impressive. If you haven't watched the sniper stuff on History Channel you should check it out. At that distance they even take into account the rotation of the earth. Also the bullet tends to drift up and right IIRC. It has to do with the spin the rifling puts on the bullet.

Snipers do some amazing things now. Its not just some dude that can shoot a rifle. These guys are smart and talented.

FAX

05-06-2010, 05:05 PM

... Squirrels and people are much alike.

I think you're right, Mr. orange. Just the other day, I saw my across-the-street neighbor sitting in a tree trying to hide his nuts.

I beaned my squirrel right square in the forehead with full, total Fruit Wheat force and he didn't even budge. I figure that squirrels are probably being bombarded constantly by falling acorns, walnuts, pecans, and squirrel poop. As a result, their heads are probably kind of hard and their thick skulls are covered with dense, squirrel fur which serves as protection against Fruit Wheats. Next time, I'm pulling out the stops and going full-on with an original-sized Shredded Wheat Biscuit. They're not as aerodynamically sound as a Fruit Wheat, of course, so it takes a great deal of skill to nail a squirrel with one of those, but they pack a heck of a lot more punch ... plus, I think they stopped making Fruit Wheats. I can't find them anymore. Squirrel Huggers Lobby, probably.

FAX

Demonpenz

05-06-2010, 05:08 PM

meh, probably achieved it by picking oddjob

Von Dumbass

05-06-2010, 05:08 PM

Camping n00b

Von Dumbass

05-06-2010, 05:10 PM

Harrison was sent back to the UK for treatment, but insisted on returning to the front line after making a full recovery.
ďI was lucky that my physical fitness levels were very high before my arms were fractured and after six weeks in plaster I was still in pretty good shape,Ē he said. ďIt hasnít affected my ability as a sniper.Ē

That is good news for Clady. He should have no problems recovering quickly as he is the most athletic tackle in the league.

RedNFeisty

05-06-2010, 05:14 PM

You must not be a real patriot. :P

Guess not! :D

Pants

05-06-2010, 05:16 PM

Quite impressive. If you haven't watched the sniper stuff on History Channel you should check it out. At that distance they even take into account the rotation of the earth. Also the bullet tends to drift up and right IIRC. It has to do with the spin the rifling puts on the bullet.

Snipers do some amazing things now. Its not just some dude that can shoot a rifle. These guys are smart and talented.

Yeah, you're 100% right. At that distance, you have to adjust for the Coriolis effect (the Earth spinning). I wonder what kind of physics courses they go through. The ballistic courses have to be fucking insane. Distance, elevation, wind, air density, Coriolis, bullet, etc. all have to be a part of the equation.

Pants

05-06-2010, 05:18 PM

Camping n00b

LMAO

Nice.

sandynme

05-06-2010, 05:34 PM

leave it to a brit to break the chickenshit record for killing someone to far away to fight b ack. us usa soldiers kill from everywhere

sandynme

05-06-2010, 05:35 PM

when u break a canadien war record, you are not supposed to be proud

Gonzo

05-06-2010, 06:08 PM

If Iím figuring this right thatís about a .338 caliber. Iím impressed that a .338 bullet can carry enough energy to be deadly out that far.
Shit, I've got a browning and a Tikka 338 mag. Welp, time to go shooting. Now then, to pick a target. So far my longest shot was about 1300 ft.
Posted via Mobile Device

HotRoute

05-06-2010, 06:11 PM

"In the weeks after his record shot, he suffered a minor gunshot wound and broke his arms when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb."

This could have been edited out dont ya think??

JD10367

05-06-2010, 06:13 PM

Yeah, but I bet he still can't hole in from 200 yards on "Hot Shots Golf". I hate that fucking game...

WhitiE

05-06-2010, 08:00 PM

Chuck Norris caliber

ahahaha

Delano

05-06-2010, 08:06 PM

Yeah, you're 100% right. At that distance, you have to adjust for the Coriolis effect (the Earth spinning). I wonder what kind of physics courses they go through. The ballistic courses have to be fucking insane. Distance, elevation, wind, air density, Coriolis, bullet, etc. all have to be a part of the equation.

Battlefield compruters.
Posted via Mobile Device

Bane

05-06-2010, 08:10 PM

Thats friggn amazing.:eek:

boogblaster

05-06-2010, 08:18 PM

Footage and windage .. he also had a spoter who measures his d&w ...

patteeu

05-06-2010, 08:53 PM

Camping n00b

:LOL:

Reerun_KC

05-06-2010, 08:55 PM

Send him to the coast of Somilia....

Pants

05-06-2010, 09:32 PM

Footage and windage .. he also had a spoter who measures his d&w ...

Of course there's a spotter, still the MOA fractions are so fucking minuscule at that point, you have to pretty much be a fucking magician to hit anything. That dude dropped two. Insane. Absolutely fucking insane.

Pitt Gorilla

05-06-2010, 10:53 PM

I'm pretty stout with a urinal target.

T-post Tom

05-06-2010, 10:56 PM

What caliber is that rifle?
Posted via Mobile Device

.338 Lapua Magnum

demonhero

05-06-2010, 11:28 PM

Nothing against the British, but $hit which it was an American.

Bwana

05-07-2010, 06:23 AM

Sweet shots!

Radar Chief

05-07-2010, 07:13 AM

Of course there's a spotter, still the MOA fractions are so ****ing minuscule at that point, you have to pretty much be a ****ing magician to hit anything. That dude dropped two. Insane. Absolutely ****ing insane.

No shit. If you havenít looked through a high-powered scope and just watched your heart beat bounce the cross hairs all over the target you probably wonít understand how difficult these shots were.
I think Hollywood has distorted peopleís perception of sniping. They make it look simple, point and click just like a computer game.

Barret

05-07-2010, 09:53 AM

Camping n00b

It's a Legitimate Strategy

jspchief

05-07-2010, 10:09 AM

I hope a witness lived to tell the story.

Imagine the thoughts going through the head of some AQ fleabag sitting next to those 2 guys:

"My two buddies just got shot, I didn't hear a god damn sound other than the bullet hitting meat, and I don't even have a f'ing clue what direction it came from. I need to find another line of work."

BillSelfsTrophycase

05-09-2010, 11:31 AM

Camping n00b

ROFL

Well played......for a donk fan

Fritz88

05-09-2010, 03:53 PM

Camping n00b

rofl

kysirsoze

05-09-2010, 04:13 PM

meh, probably achieved it by picking oddjob

Rep

kysirsoze

05-09-2010, 04:15 PM

Being able to shoot that precisely is one of those abilities that might as well count as a superpower. Unbelievable.